Merchandise display shelf with integral convertible price tag molding



Jan. 22, 1963 D. L. MAPSON 3,074,194 MERCHANDISE DISPLAY SHELF WITHINTEGRAL CONVERTIBLE PRICE TAG MOLDING Filed Aug. 22. 1960 filia- I.

IN VEN TOR.

DOA/HAD L MAPS 0N 3,074,194 MERCHANDISE DHSPLAY SHELF WITH HNTEGRAL CGNWE KTEBLE PRHJE TAG MOLDING Donald L. Mapson, La Habra Heights, Califassignor to M 8; 1) Store Fixtures, Inc., a corporation of CaliforniaFiled Aug. 22, 1969, Ser. No. 59308 2 (Ilainrs. ill. 40-16) Thisinvention relates to store fixtures and particularly to shelves on whichmerchandise is displayed for sale.

It has long been common practice to equip the front edges of merchandisedisplay shelves with price tag mouldings for securely holdingconventional celluloid price tags placed therein at various points alongthe shelf, with the tags inclined to render them more readily visible tothe customer. Heretofore such mouldings have been secured to shelves,both wood and sheet metal, by fasteners or by special fixtures securedto the shelves by fasteners.

in some stores, the management prefers price tag mouldings having astreamlined decorative appearance. T-hus food stores generally like tohave their shelves equipped with artistically shaped mouldings ofextruded aluminum. Heretofore, fasteners or special clips fastened tothe shelf have been required for securing such decorative mouldings tothe front edge of merchandise display shelves.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a sheet-metalmerchandise display shelf which is adapted to be equipped with a pricetag moulding of extruded aluminum without the necessity of fasteners orspecial fittings on the shelf for use in mounting said moulding on saidshelf.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a merchandisedisplay shelf formed of sheet steel having a sheet steel price tagmoulding formed integrally therewith which may optionally be used as theinstrument for mounting a price tag moulding of extruded aluminum onsaid shelf.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as Well as furLherobjects and advantages will be made mani fest in the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in whichFIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of the front edge portion of amerchandise display shelf equipped with a preferred embodiment of theextruded aluminum ticket strip of the present invention and with theends of said ticket strip covered by a protective finish clip.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the left end of the front edge of theshelf shown in FIG. 1 and is taken in the direction of the arrow 2 insaid figure.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 andillustrates the manner in which the knife edges of the tongues of thefinish clip maintain this clip in place after it has been applied to oneend of said extruded aluminum ticket strip.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the aforesaid finish clip.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the invention is there disclosedas embracing a sheet metal shelf comprising a flat sheet metal body 11which in normal use is supported in a horizontal position. These shelvesare provided in various lengths for displaying merchandise in stores, acommon size being 3 feet long. Opposite ends of each shelf 10 arereinforced by sheet metal angles 12 which are placed just beneath theends 13 of the sheet metal body 11 and spot welded thereto.

The front edge 14 of the sheet metal body 11 is reinforced by a downwardand rearward bend 15 of 180 and then a downward bend 16 of 90 to form areinforcing angle with a substantial vertical web 17. Bent forwardlyfrom a lower edge of the web 17 at an angle of about 135 is a lower web18 a lower edge portion of which Patented Jan. 22, 19 58 if is bentforwardly and upwardly from the web 13 at an angle of about to form alower flange 19.

The rigid reinforcement formed by the aforesaid bends from the materialof the shelf body 11 along its front edge 14 not only thus reinforcesthe shelf body 11 but comprises a price tag moulding 20 having the lowerflange 19 and an upper flange 21 formed between the bends l5 and 16,these flanges converging forwardly and being spaced apart just thedistance necessary to retain price tags 22 of a standard rectangularsize in a bowed condition when inserted between said flanges.

he shelf it) of the invention is adapted to perform its function ofdisplaying merchandise and presenting price tags 22 at selected pointsalong the front edge of the shelf by use of the price tag moulding 20 asaforesaid.

When the shelf 1% is thus used, opposite ends of the moulding 2d areadapted to be finished by two finish clips 27 each of which includes aflat ear shaped plate 23 from which two tongues 29 are bent inwardly sothat said tongues lie in a plane disposed at right angles to the plate28. The two tongues 29 are shaped so as to curve away from each otherstarting at the line where they are formed integral with the plate 28and then terminate in parallel end portions 3% having sharp outer edges31.

While thus complete in itself as above described, the present inventionis designed so that it may be optionally equipped with a relativelydecorative price tag moulding 32 without the necessity of employingconventional fasteners such as screws or bolts to secure the same tosaid shelf. The moulding 32 is preierably formed by extrusion fromaluminum and includes an obtuse angled body 33 having a decorativelyfluted front surface 34 and terminating at its upper and lower edgesrespectively in streamlined price tag holding flanges 35 and 36. EX-truded with the body 33 are rearwardly extending upper and lower bossesit? and 41 which are adapted to be slidably received between the flanges2i and 19 when inserted endwise therebetween until opposite ends of theornamental moulding 32 are flush with those of sheet metal moulding 2%.

An alternative and sometimes preferable mode of assembly of theornamental extruded moulding 3-2 on the sheet metal moulding 2% is toinsert the bosses 4-0 and 41 broadside between the sheet metal price tagholding flanges l9 and 21. It is to be noted that external corners C andC of the bosses 4t and n are sharp angled and these corners haveclearance above and below these corners, respectively, so as to continuein engagement with the converging inner faces of the flat flanges 19 and21 until the bosses are pushed entirely into the space between theseflanges. The corners C and C being spaced slightly further apart thanthe base portions of flanges l9 and 21, the spring bias of the latter,when these flanges are released after bosses it? and 4?. are insertedtherebetween, continues to hold said bosses in said deeply assembledrelation with said flanges, as shown in FIG. 4.

When the shelf it? is thus equipped with the ornamental moulding 32 theends of the latter may be given a trim finished appearance byapplication of a pair of the clips 27 as clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3and 4 of the drawings. When the clips 27 are thus applied, the parallelend portions 30 of the spring tongues 29 of these clips extend beneaththe flanges 35 and 36 of ornamental moulding 32 so that the sharpenededges 31 of these tongues bite into the metal of the moulding 32 therebyincreasing the resistance made by the clips 27 to withdrawal from thisassociation with the moulding 32. The ear-shaped plates 28 of theseclips, when so applied, cover the ends of both the ornamental moulding32 and the sheet metal moulding 20 in which it rests.

The drawings show the ornamental moulding 32 applied so that the boss 4%engages the flange 2i and the boss d1 engages the flange 19. When themoulding 32 is so applied, the flange 35 thereof forms a flushcontinuation of the upper surface of the shelf front edge 14. In mostinstances, such a flush relationship of the upper edge of the moulding32 with theshelf lii is preferable.

In some instances, however, it is desired that the shelf be providedwith a slight upwardly extending lip along its front edge. Wherever thisis the case, the assembly of the ornamental moulding 32 with the shelf10 is effected by an inversion of the moulding 32 from the positionextends upwardly about one-half inch above the'frontedge I 14 of theshelf 18.

There are thus seen to be three distinctly different optional modes'ofassembling the structural elements of the novel merchandise displayshelf 10 of the invention. In each of these modes of assembly the shelffully performs its functions of a support for merchandise on display anda-means for supporting price tags at any point along a front edge of theshelf to which they may be'applied. Where economy of investment is aprime consideration, the shelf 18 of the invention may be purchasedinitially without including either the moulding 32 or the clips 27 andwhen thus bought will perform all the essential func tions of amerchandise display shelf. As the customer desires or can affordequipment having a more ornamental aspect it is unnecessary for him topurchase new shelves but by merely buying ornamental mouldings 32' andclips 27 for his shelves, may accomplish the desired end by assemblingthese with the original shelves, without the assistance of any tools andwithout using any conventional.

fasteners.

While only a single embodiment of the invention is disclosed herein, itis to be Understood thatvarious.

changes and modifications may be made inthis without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of f the appended claims. Theclaims are: 1. In a sheet metal shelf, the combination of: a thin sheetmetal shelf body; a sheet metal price tag moulding formed integrallywith the shelf by bending the sheet metal of the shelf body downwardly.coextensively with the front edge of the shelf to form flattag-gripping flanges at upper and lower edges of said moulding, saidflanges. converging forwardly at an angle of approximately 45 anornamental price tag moulding formed of extruded aluminum andcoextensive in length with said shelf and havbetween outer edges of saidsheet metal moulding flanges.

whereby said flanges must be temporarily sprung apart to admit saidbosses broadside between said flanges, the latter then resuming theiroriginal spacing to trap said bosses between said flanges, said sharpboss corners having clearance to engage internal faces of said flangesdeep within the space between said flanges, the spring bias of saidflanges thus firmly mounting said: ornamental moulding on said sheetmetal moulding.

2. In a sheet metal shelf, the combinationv of: athin sheet metalhorizintal shelf body; a sheet metal price tag moulding made coextensiveand integral with the front edge of said body by bending the material ofsaid edge downwardly and rearwardly 180 to provide an upper.

horizontal price tag holding flange, then bending said materialdownwardly to form a vertical upper portion of a moulding back wall,then bending said material 45 forwardly. to form a forwardly inclinedlower portion of said wall, and finally bending said material 90upwardlyto form the lower price tag holding flange ofsaid mould irig; anextruded ornamental price tag moulding coextensive with said shelf bodyand having forwardly converging 7 price tagholding flanges along itsupper and loweredges; and a pair of parallel externally sharp corneredbosses formed integral with said ornamental moulding rearward 1ytherefrom and inwardly from upper and lower edges respectively of. saidornamental moulding, said external sharp corners of said bosses beingspaced slightly farther apart than said sheet metal moulding flanges,whereby-a slight springing of said back wall is requisite to introducingsaid bosses broadside between'said sheet metal flanges, said sharp. bosscornersthereupon extending snugly into the angles between said sheetmetal moulding flanges and said back wall so as to firmly mount saidornamental extruded moulding on said sheet metal moulding.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,872,053 Zimmerman Aug. 16*, 1932 1,925,603 Reiher Sept 5, 19332,320,463 Pavlovic June. 1, 1953" 2,352,100 Hornung June 20, 19442,626,472 Stingl Jan. 27, 1953 2,730,824 Cohen Jan. 17, 1956 2,838,860Finnerty June 17, 1958 2,950,554 Foster Aug. 30, 1960

1. IN A SHEET METAL SHELF, THE COMBINATION OF: A THIN SHEET METAL SHELFBODY; A SHEET METAL PRICE TAG MOULDING FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH THE SHELFBY BENDING THE SHEET METAL OF THE SHELF BODY DOWNWARDLY COEXTENSIVELYWITH THE FRONT EDGE OF THE SHELF TO FORM FLAT TAG-GRIPPING FLANGES ATUPPER AND LOWER EDGES OF SAID MOULDING, SAID FLANGES CONVERGINGFORWARDLY AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 45*; AN ORNAMENTAL PRICE TAGMOULDING FORMED OF EXTRUDED ALUMINUM AND COEXTENSIVE IN LENGTH WITH SAIDSHELF AND HAVING FORWARDLY CONVERGING TAG-GRIPPING FLANGES AT UPPER ANDLOWER EDGES THEREOF; AND A PAIR OF UPPER AND LOWER REARWARDLY EXTENDINGEXTERNALLY SHARP CORNERED BOSSES FORMED ON SAID ORNAMENTAL MOULDINGCOEXTENSIVELY THEREWITH, THE EXTERNAL CORNERS OF SAID PAIR OF BOSSESBEING SPACED APART A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY IN EXCESS OF THE OPENING BETWEENOUTER EDGES OF SAID SHEET METAL MOULDING FLANGES WHEREBY SAID FLANGESMUST BE TEMPORARILY SPRUNG APART TO ADMIT SAID BOSSES BROADSIDE BETWEENSAID FLANGES, THE LATTER THEN RESUMING THEIR ORIGINAL SPACING TO TRAPSAID BOSSES BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, SAID SHARP BOSS CORNERS HAVINGCLEARANCE TO ENGAGE INTERNAL FACES OF SAID FLANGES DEEP WITHIN THE SPACEBETWEEN SAID FLANGES, THE SPRING BIAS OF SAID FLANGES THUS FIRMLYMOUNTING SAID ORNAMENTAL MOULDING ON SAID SHEET METAL MOULDING.